An off-duty Chattanooga Police Department officer was arrested after two DUI-related crashes on Sunday, June 1.
MacKenzie Pierre, a CPD Neighborhood Policing Officer who is now on administrative leave, faces the following charges:
- Driving under the influence
- Leaving the scene of a crash
- Failure to yield right of way
The car he was driving was not owned by the city, CPD confirmed in a release.
According to a preliminary investigation, Pierre crashed a blue SUV into another car after running a redlight on Bonny Oaks Drive.
He then drove away from the scene, but was followed by the first car he hit.
As Pierre attempted to cross Highway 58 to merge onto Highway 153 North, he was involved in a second crash that sent him across the median and into the grass at the bottom of the exit ramp.
Responding CPD officers found Pierre showed signs of impairment, and ordered him to be transported to the hospital for evaluation.
One other person was evaluated on scene by paramedics, but not taken to the hospital.
Pierre, who the department hired in 2019, will remain on leave pending the outcome of an Internal Affairs investigation, which is separate from the ongoing traffic and criminal investigation.
Anyone with information related to this incident is encouraged to call CPD at 423-698-2525.
